how to use match function or count if function to match two columns of text.

sounds like you need to use conditional formatting. cant say what the formula woyuld look like tho, until i can see a sample of your data

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highlight the range in column B, then go into conditional formatting - new rule - use formula, enter/copy this =COUNTIF($A$2:$A$127,B2)>0. apply formatting and enter out
this will highlight all identical matches.

the following formula in C will pick out identical matched from B to A
=IF(COUNTIF($A$2:$A$127,B2)>$C$1,COUNTIF($A$2:$A$127,B2),"")

i am working on similar matches apple=apples
can you give me any more examples?

for the "similar" matches, try this in CF...
=ISNUMBER(IFERROR(MATCH(B2&"*",$A$1:$A$127,0),MATCH("*"&B2,$A$1:$A$127,0)))

or if you just want it in C,
=IFERROR(IFERROR(MATCH(B2&"*",$A$1:$A$127,0),MATCH("*"&B2,$A$1:$A$127,0)),"")

this will match similar items in A that are in B